Recognizing 2019-2020 student leaders of affinity groups, clubs, organizations

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Recognition Assembly, which honors the accomplishments of the student leaders of affinity groups, clubs and organizations, was canceled this year. In its place, we have compiled a series of briefs to recognize the club leaders and their faculty sponsors.

African American Affinity Group

Leaders: Skylar Williams, Aloye Oshotse, Cameron Mudd, Isabella O’Reilly, Caitlin Guidry, Maxx Shearod, Eliot Aiman, Hailey Burnette, Joshua Wilson, Jordan Fullen, Brian Gordon and Kennedy Black

Faculty Sponsors: Kim Roquemore and Harold Baber

AAAG seeks to create a safe space for all black students on campus, to promote justice and equality within the student body and to educate the student body on black matters. This year, AAAG planned an Upper School assembly, a Lower School assembly and multiple character-building closed meetings. 

“AAAG is a safe space where I can express my feelings and enjoy the company of my friends,” senior Skylar Williams said. “As the co-president of AAAG, I feel that my purpose is to make all of the black students on campus feel welcome and to provide a positive example of what we can do as a group.”

 

Artificial Intelligence Club

Leaders: Jenny Green, Pierce Ederle and Russell Li

Students gather in the Atrium to listen to Rice University professor Moshe Vardi. (Russell Li)

Faculty Sponsors: Dwight Raulston and Paula Angus

AI Club aims to give students an accessible way to learn about artificial intelligence. The club hosted Moshe Vardi, a Rice University computer science professor, who gave a presentation on the future of work in an era of automation and AI. The club also sent several newsletters regarding recent AI developments to club members.

“AI is one of those topics that often feels inaccessible, especially to high school students who generally don’t have much experience with programming or with the math that much of AI is based on,” junior Jenny Green said. “The most meaningful part of our club is the environment we’re trying to cultivate in opposition to that, where we can exchange ideas in a meaningful way without many of the barriers to entry that a topic like AI might otherwise have.”

 

Art Club

Leaders: Mia Fares, McKenna Grabowski, Angela Xu and Sarah Fiedorek

Faculty Sponsor: Dan Havel

Art Club is dedicated to promoting and spreading visual art appreciation across campus. This year, the club organized the annual pumpkin painting on the Great Lawn and hosted a banner decorating meeting for Book Fair. 

“Being a leader of Art Club has been so important to me in maintaining my own passion for art,” senior Mia Fares said. “Getting to meet people in other grades that are so talented and passionate and to learn from them has inspired and informed not only my own artistic endeavors but also my leadership skills.”

 

Bible Study

Leaders: Mary VanLoh, Mackenzie Glanville, Anna Childers, Katcher Halligan, Joshua Wilson, Elizabeth Cox, Evie Barrett, Anna Leigh Clearman, Dian Yu, Maggie Miller, Patrick Fanning, Anna Kate Black, Caroline Hankamer and Ella Rose

Faculty Sponsors: Austin Garvin, Kim Roquemore and Roxie Allen

Bible Study provides students opportunities to discuss their faith in a safe place and tools to help them navigate high school as a Christian. The group hosts meetings on Day 7, prayers at the flagpole, community service projects and forums with the Jewish Affinity Group. 

“Bible Study means a lot to me because it is nice to have a place to talk about my faith with people who understand what it’s like to be a Christian in high school,” junior Anna Leigh Clearman said. “Having Bible Study at school reminds me of what is truly important when I get stressed out about grades or projects.”

 

Chapel Guild

Kantorei performed “Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal” at a November Chapel. (Ryan Doughty)

Leaders: Claire Seinsheimer, Eloise Reasoner, Sarah Hill and George Hagle

Faculty Sponsor: Ned Mulligan

Chapel Guild organizes Chapel services that occur once a rotation. The organization selects speakers and Special Music performers.

“When a performer puts on a show, fills the sanctuary and makes people sit up and become immersed in the music,” junior George Hagle said, “for those brief moments, regardless of the speech or readings, that someone took something away from Chapel.

 

Cheerleading

Leaders: McKenna Grabowski and Anna Childers

Faculty Sponsor: Jamie Everett 

Cheer begins their season at the NCA Cheer Camp during the first week of June at Sam Houston State University learning routines and skills including jumps, stunts and tumbling while competing against other cheer teams. They attend practice every day during the season to learn the Episcopal and Kinkaid routines, which they perform during respective halftimes. Each Thursday, JV cheers on the JV football games while on Fridays varsity cheer supports the varsity football team and at boys’ basketball games in the winter.

“Joining the cheer team was the best decision I made since coming to St. John’s,” junior Ava Leitner said. “In cheerleading you are constantly having to support each other because if one person falls, you all fall. Cheer has gifted me so many close relationships with wonderful girls and allowed me to express myself through our routines.”

 

Community Service

Officers (‘20): Mia Fares, Jacqueline Heal, Mackenzie Glanville, Travis Ho, Athena Adrogué, Sadie McCabe, Claire Seinsheimer and Mira Thakur

Officers (‘21): Rachel Kim, Nina Varma, Thomas Chang, Tyler King, Pierce Ederle, Lauren Fulghum, Alexandra Gill and Marco Stix

Officers (‘22): Kate Willey, Ashley Yen, Eliot Aiman and Dian Yu

Officers (‘23): Lexi Guo, Louise Terry and Lucia Varma

Faculty Sponsor: Marci Bahr

Thomas Chang, a junior, tutors a student at McReynolds Middle School. (Marci Bahr)

St. John’s Community Service provides opportunities for students to make a positive, lasting impact on their communities. It aims to support students who seek to give back to causes they are passionate about and raise awareness about service opportunities. 

This year, officers hosted multiple class projects and ran over 30 ongoing projects, including Slammin’ Sandwiches, Trinity Breakfast and McReynolds Middle School tutoring. Along with SAC, CommServe hosted the annual holiday drive for BE A Resource for kids in the care of CPS and sponsored gift wishes for 96 children. In response to COVID-19, students continued to participate in community service by hosting donation drives, sewing masks and assembling meals for underprivileged children. 

“My role as a community service officer brings me so much joy,” sophomore Eliot Aiman said. “Our board is full of talented and hardworking people who are always willing to support each other and work together. We work hard every day to help people in need, and we try to inspire our peers to do the same.”

 

Debate

Captains: Mehak Batra, Robert Garza, Will Heilmann, Pranav Konduri, Asher Moll, Andrew Tong and Matthew Yekell

Chairpersons: Aidan Aguilar, Meeah Bradford, Maria Cheng, Jack Kagan, Catherine Lu, Sam Lu, Clara Moore, Madeline Ou, Sacha Waters and Dian Yu

Faculty Sponsors: Clay Guinn and Andy Stubbs

Debate provides students the opportunity to compete in speech and debate tournaments and build their public speaking skills.

 

Drum Corps

Leader: Brianna Baskin

Faculty Sponsor: Warren Rawson

Drum Corps helps generate school spirit and gives people a way to contribute to the community excitement around football games without playing football or being a cheerleader. Drum Corps also serves as a space for people to express themselves. 

“Being a member of Drum Corps means a lot to me because it feels like a family, and the members are so authentically themselves and love to celebrate each other,” junior drummer Anna Leigh Clearman said.

 

East Asian Affinity Group

Leaders: Denise Pan, Sam Lu, Andrew Tong, Christine Wang, Erin Oldham, Nicole Doyle, Scott Koh, Celine Huang, Maria Cheng and Catherine Lu

Faculty Sponsors: Jack Soliman, Kim Dickson and Jamie Kim

EAAG officers invited Appellate District Judge Frances Bourliot and attorney Audrey Chang to speak at the affinity group’s assembly. (Courtesy of Jack Soliman)

In EAAG, students are able to express their opinions and discuss various aspects of Asian American identity as well as help showcase East Asian culture to the greater SJS community. The affinity group hosted a COVID-19 guest speaker, Dr. Katherine King (‘92), as well as an assembly, Game Night and several forums.

“When I was a freshman, EAAG allowed me to make many new friendships with people I might not have come across otherwise,” junior Scott Koh said. “I am extremely grateful for the sense of community and support it provided me as a new student.”

 

Environmental Coalition of Students

Leaders: Lauren Erasmus, Aloye Oshotse, Edward Chen and Luke Witten

Faculty Sponsors: Amy Malin, Patty Carr and Emily Reppart

ECOS aims to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Every Friday, the club manages the School’s recycling.

“I get to make friends and connections, and then I get to spend time with these new friends,” junior Edward Chen said.

 

Ethics Bowl

The Ethics Bowl team competed at a Rice University tournament in February. (Laney Chang)

Leaders: Ethan Kinsella and Jenny Green

Faculty Sponsor: Tav Tavakoli

Ethics Bowl aims to stimulate constructive ethical discussion, where the goal of debate becomes less confrontational and more focused on engaging in a meaningful exchange of ideas. The group meets on a weekly basis to learn about ethical theory and its applications, debating different ethical case studies and discussing media and current events that bring up ethical questions. Members prepared a set of ethical case studies for a tournament at Rice in February.

“The club really offered me the opportunity not only to learn a lot, but also to broaden my perspective,” junior Jenny Green said. “It’s made it easier for me to approach evaluating a lot of the complex issues that surround us, so that I can appreciate their multifaceted nature while not being overwhelmed by that complexity.”

 

Film Studies Club

Leader: Weston Clarke

Faculty Sponsor: Mary Mitchell

 

French Club

French Club hosts a cheese-tasting event on the Plaza. (Shelley Stein)

Presidents: Jordan Fullen and Charlotte Gillard

Symposium Officers: Romit Kundagrami and Lucía Valderrabano

Table Leaders: Kate Willey and Max Beard

Faculty Sponsors: Shelley Stein and Elizabeth Hythecker

French Club works to promote all aspects of French and Francophone culture. It connects fellow Upper School Francophiles and helps organize and motivate students for the annual Texas French Symposium competition. This year, French Club hosted several parties and events such as a regional cheese tasting event on the Plaza, a crêpe party around Mardi Gras and regular French-language tables including one that brought in a speaker from Geneva. This year’s Symposium was canceled only a week before it was set to take place in College Station. 

“The events throughout the year are always great to promote Francophone culture to a broader SJS audience, but they’re also a fun way for us to foster relationships and friendships within our ever-expanding French bubble,” sophomore Romit Kundagrami said. “All of us in leadership—but also within the group at large—have such a close bond simply because of our engagement with the French language.”

Other French Club leaders include Noura Jabir, Nicolas Muñoz, Eleanor Devetski, Olivia Grobmyer, Ana Sofía Miró and Emily Burnett.

 

Imagination

Imagination has converted their Spring Issue into a series of online folios. (Camille McFarland)

Editors-in-Chief: Tyler King and Alexa Theofanidis

Faculty Sponsor: Max Boyd

Imagination is the literary journal of St. John’s School. The journal seeks to provide a place for free, creative expression, where students of any background or perspective can have their voices heard. The journal produced a Fall 2019 Issue and three Spring 2020 online folios.

“It’s a joy to work with each of our contributors and to understand how and why they write,” junior Tyler King said. “I also can’t understate how appreciative and lucky I am to have such a talented staff of editors and readers. They’re vital to our publication, and we couldn’t support writers to the extent we do without them.”

 

International Club 

Leaders: Mia Fares, Casey Propst and Zoe Hirshfeld

Faculty Sponsor: Aline Means

International Club unites people from myriad cultural backgrounds in their curiosity and enthusiasm for foreign cultures, customs, languages and food. It seeks to expose SJS students to the cultural diversity that exists in today’s world.

“Hearing everybody’s unique stories, tasting unfamiliar food and allowing others to express an integral part of their identity are the facets of being an iClub Co-chair that mean the most to me,” junior Casey Propst said.

 

Jewish Affinity Group 

Leaders: Leila Pulaski, Jacob Trachtenberg, Liv Rubenstein, Max Shellist, Isaac Blue, Sydney Buchman and Sydney Hammerman

Faculty Sponsor: Rachel Weissenstein

JAG creates a Jewish community at SJS where Jewish students can feel safe and talk about their Judaism (and enjoy Jewish food). This year, JAG organized several casual meetings (especially during holidays) where anyone who wanted to could hang out during lunch. 

“JAG meant a ton to me throughout my time at St. John’s,” senior Jacob Trachtenberg said. “It’s always been a welcoming community for me, especially after moving to a school with so few Jews compared to what I was used to.”

 

Johnnycake

Leaders: Meridian Monthy, Julian Westerfield, Tanner Watson, Brianna Baskin and Catherine Huang

STUCHO, the Student Choreography Showcase, was one of many Fine Arts performances this year. (Fareen Dhuka)

Faculty Sponsors: Jamie Stires Hardin and Kat Cordes

Johnnycake plays a larger role at SJS than most think. From constructing the sets on weekends to organizing large meetings to discuss future productions, Johnnycake members constantly work behind the scenes to make shows happen, thus supporting the Fine Arts community. Although much logistical work is involved, the organization is a strong community of people who are passionate about the arts and have genuine connections with each other.

“This club means so much to me—it’s a family and a way to see hours of work result in a finished product,” junior Meridian Monthy said. “I wouldn’t be who I am today without this club, and neither would St. John’s!”

 

Junior State of America

Leaders: Pranav Konduri and Dian Yu

Faculty Sponsor: Jack Soliman

JSA combats political apathy by getting students involved in government and politics. The club attends Texas JSA conventions, where students from Texas and other southern states have the opportunity to participate in or watch debates and meet keynote speakers. 

“It is truly inspiring to see people find their passion in politics, especially after attending incredible conventions and participating in debates,” sophomore Dian Yu said.

 

Latinos Unidos Affinity Group

Leaders: Marcela Madrid (Co-chair), Taliha De Ochoa (Co-chair), Aidan Aguilar and Cross Guien 

Faculty Sponsor: Hans Infante

Latinos Unidos Affinity Group seeks to provide a support system for students who self-identify with Latin American backgrounds, to build relationships between members of similar and different Latinx backgrounds and to help students embrace their cultures. This year, the group hosted events including Sabor Latino, a “What Does it Mean to be an American?” forum and a Quarantine Guess Who! Kahoot game.

“Being leaders allows us to speak for those who identify as Latinx, when we are usually not given the chance,” senior Taliha De Ochoa said. “LUA highlights the diversity within the Latino community and allows us to exhibit that uniqueness to the rest of the student body when most only knew of one or a few cultures. As leaders, we are given the responsibility to create and maintain a safe space for our affinity in which we can grow and celebrate together.”

 

Microfinance Club

Leaders: Andrew Tong, Elijah Dahunsi, Oliver Magdol and John Avery Foutch

Faculty Sponsor: Nolan Harris

The Microfinance Club aims to provide small business owners and entrepreneurs with access to capital. In meetings, the club votes on the best ways to invest money.

“Giving is not just about making a donation, it’s about making a difference,” sophomore Oliver Magdol said. “Give a man a dollar and he will eat for a night, but invest that same dollar into his community and they will prosper for generations.”

 

Middle East/North African Affinity Group

Leaders: Mia Fares and Soraya Stude

Faculty Sponsors: Sherifa Meguid Kehs and Wendall Zartman

MENA strives to educate about and celebrate cultures within the region. With such a small part of the student body from the area, MENA strongly encourages everybody, regardless of cultural heritage, to attend meetings.

“I am proud to be a leader of this affinity group because my Lebanese roots have shown me a side to the Middle East that many people do not see in today’s media,” senior Mia Fares said. “I really love spreading my culture and offering a platform for others from the misunderstood region to do the same.”

 

Model United Nations 

Leaders: Athena Adrogué and Sara Doyle

Faculty Sponsor: Wendall Zartman

Model United Nations is an academic activity that simulates the United Nations. Students learn about diplomacy, international relations and UN procedures. This year, Model UN brought around 70 students to the Houston Area Model UN conference and 12 students to the MIT Model UN Conference in Boston. 

“Mr. Zartman first introduced me to Model UN when I was a freshman, and he inspired a passion for world affairs and social justice in me,” senior Athena Adrogué said. “I am so grateful to have worked with Mr. Zartman, our club sponsor, this past year, and every member of MUN misses him dearly.”

 

Multiracial Affinity Group

Leaders: Carolyn DePinho, Natalie Brown, Nina Varma, Alexa Addison, Chad Faykus, Eliot Aiman, Rebecca Bollich and Meeah Bradford

Faculty Sponsors: Kim Roquemore, Jack Soliman and Nicole Chulick

MRAG is a club for members of the St. John’s community who are multiracial, which means they identify with or have a background of more than one race. MRAG serves as a place of empowerment, safety and community for multiracial people.

“It’s an amazing community to be part of and a great space for people who would like to explore their identity or don’t feel like they fit in one group more than another,” junior Natalie Brown said.

 

PRISM

Leaders: Jordan Fullen, Matthew Yekell, Len de la Cruz, Shelby Wilson, Lauren Aguilar, Liv Rubenstein, Romit Kundagrami and Sophie Trammell

On Dec. 4, PRISM passed out bracelets at their Mini Pride Day celebration. (Fareen Dhuka)

Faculty Sponsors: Clay Guinn, Kristiane Stapleton, Gene Batiste and Kyle Dennan

PRISM serves to provide a supportive space for LGBTQ+ students and allies, to educate and create awareness about LGBTQ+ issues and to ensure equity in all aspects of campus life. 

“Joining PRISM freshman year, I was blown away by how supportive and kind a community the group was, and it inspired a passion within me to give back as much as I could,” sophomore Romit Kundagrami said. “We all just want to work to make sure LGBTQ+ students and allies can feel safe, loved and celebrated in the SJS community.”

 

Quadrangle

Leaders: Celia Adams, William Perdue, Emily Schaffer, Marcela Madrid, Lauryn Kapiloff, Abby Walker, Alexandra Gill, Ava Leitner, Maddie Mahoney, McKenna Grabowski and Charlotte Curtin

Faculty Advisers: Susan Barthelme, Suzanne Webb and Sarah Jane Keegan

Quadrangle is responsible for the annual yearbook given to all SJS students.

 

Quiz Bowl

Leader: Elijah Dahunsi

Faculty Sponsor: Tav Tavakoli

The Quiz Bowl team trains for academic competitions that occur throughout the school year. During the school year, the club participated in the statewide History Bowl competition, the Rice Invitational, the Cinco Ranch Invitational, the Citizen Bowl and other competitions.

“Being the leader of such a great team has been eye-opening for me,” junior Elijah Dahunsi said. “If I had to describe Quiz Bowl in one sentence, I would say that Quiz Bowl is like family.” 

 

Review

Review editors toured the Newseum on their Washington, D.C.trip before it closed in January. (Chuy Benitez)

Senior Editors: Izzy Andrews, Mia Fares, Sophia Lima, Leila Pulaski, Sinclair Mott, SJ Lasley, Sara Doyle, Claire Seinsheimer, Taylor Britton, Ryan Doughty and Mehak Batra 

Faculty Advisers: David Nathan, Shelley Stein and Chuy Benitez

The Review is the School’s student-run news organization. In addition to maintaining an award-winning website, editors publish numerous print issues every year, which are mailed to every Upper School household free of charge.

“I am so grateful for The Review because it has helped me make some of the most meaningful friendships I have,” senior Leila Pulaski said. “The Review has really defined the person I’ve become, and I have so much respect for the work ethic that goes into this publication.”

 

Science and Math Club

Leaders: Kushal Kandel, Margaux Marinelli, Sambhu Balakrishnan, William Urdahl and Scott Koh 

Faculty Sponsor: Paula Angus

SAMC aims to promote further interest in science and math amongst the SJS student body and educate members on subjects beyond what is included in the school curriculum. This year, the club hosted gastroenterologist Dr. Victor Ankoma-Sey and neonatologist Dr. Christopher Rhee.

“By attending SAMC meetings during my freshman year, I was able to learn so much about a variety of math and science topics that I would not have had exposure to otherwise,” junior Scott Koh said. “Now that I am a leader for SAMC, I am so glad that I am able to select speakers that would interest students and provide the opportunity for members to discover new interests in the STEM field.”

 

Science Olympiad

Leaders: Lawrence Appel, Sambhu Balakrishnan, Colton Morgan, Sam Lu, Connie Yu and Tyler King

Faculty Sponsors: Roxie Allen, Ryan DePuit and Neha Mathur

Science Olympiad allows students to compete in Science Olympiad tournaments. Science Olympiad is an academic competition that consists of several events over various scientific fields, including biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, geology and mathematics. This year, the club competed at tournaments in Texas and a National Level Invitational Tournament.

“We’re so proud of the way the program has grown over the last couple of years, and we’re really happy that we were able to be a part of this journey,” Appel and Balakrishnan said. “We have learned a lot and know that the club is going to grow stronger each year.”

 

South Asian Affinity Group

Leaders: Mehak Batra, Pranav Konduri, Shehryar Jafry, Rahul Rupani, Aatiqah Aziz, Ishan Shah, Kushal Kandel, Pragya Devashish and Lucia Varma

Faculty Sponsors: Sarwat Jafry and Neha Mathur

SAAG aims to educate SJS community members about South Asian culture and create a safe space for open discussions about South Asian issues.

“I enjoy connecting with underclassmen and getting them involved in organizations that mean a lot to me, especially because when I was a sophomore, the seniors made an effort to really connect with me and make me feel comfortable,” Batra said.

 

Spirit Club

Leaders: Claire Seinsheimer, Sadie McCabe and Bailey Dalton

Faculty Sponsor: Bailey Duncan

 

Sports Management Club

Leader: Jackson Humphries

Faculty Sponsor: Tav Tavakoli

Sports Management Club is designed to inform students about possible career paths within the sports industry and hosts from various Houston sports organizations to expand on their careers. Last spring, the club organized a field trip to Minute Maid Park and plans to tour a stadium in the future. 

“Being a leader of a club has been really cool because it’s a way to project my interest in the business side of sports to other people who have similar interests or sports fans that may not know much about the business side,” junior Jackson Humphries said.

 

Student Affairs Council

Prefects: Melody Trautner (Head Prefect), Ryan Doughty, Subi Farayibi, Jordan Fullen, Will Jackson, Louisa Sarofim and Joshua Wilson 

Faculty Sponsors: Nolan Harris and Marci Bahr

SAC is the student government of St. John’s. Grade representatives, who are elected each semester, develop House Games and communicate with administrators as well as the student body.

The SAS and Unity Council forum covered certain barriers that often prevent people of color from seeking and receiving adequate treatment. (Celine Huang)

 

Students Against Stigma

Leaders: Louisa Sarofim, Melody Trautner and Soraya Stude

Faculty Sponsor: Ashley Le Grange

Students Against Stigma has the mission of providing students with mental health education and creating an environment in which students feel empowered to seek help when needed. Events that SAS has held include forums and “Talk It Out Thursdays,” covering topics such as anxiety, sleep and managing relationships with one’s family during quarantine.

 

Tour Guild

Leaders: Eleanor Devetski, Mackenzie Glanville, Lily McCullough, George Caldwell, Scott Koh, Caroline Pressler, Tasha Savas and Meeah Bradford

Faculty Sponsor: D’Hania Hunt

Tour Guild assists the SJS Admissions Office by conducting tours for prospective students throughout the school year and assisting with standardized testing procedures. Members of Tour Guild also serve as school ambassadors during Open Houses.

“When I was applying to SJS, I was amazed at the tour I received during Open House and thought that it would be so enjoyable to inform others about all the different opportunities that SJS has to offer,” junior Scott Koh said. “Tour Guild has given me the ability to do that, and I participate in this program because I love sharing my passion and knowledge about SJS with prospective and incoming new students.”

 

Unity Council

Leaders: Matthew Yekell, Mia Murillo, Landon McKelvey, Lauren Aguilar, Noura Jabir, Louisa Sarofim, Natalie Brown, Cross Guien and Eliot Aiman

Faculty Sponsors: Sarwat Jafry, Gene Batiste and Hollis Amley

Unity Council is a committee of student leaders and representatives from all Upper School affinity groups, political groups and religious groups to voice concerns of the student body regarding diversity and inclusion related incidents on campus.

“Working with Unity Council has granted me the opportunity to not only share my own perspectives and ideas but also help others to do the same,” sophomore Eliot Aiman said. “Unity Council brings so much to our SJS community, and each board member works hard to contribute to excellence. I enjoy Unity Council because we help foster understanding and empathy within our community.”

 

Women Helping Empower Each Other

Leaders: Mia Murillo, Celia Adams, Leila Pulaski, Sinclair Mott, Charlotte Gillard, Meridian Monthy and Sophie Lesniak

Faculty Sponsors: Eleanor Cannon and Bethany Goldman

On Feb. 18, Congresswoman Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (’93) spoke to members of SPEC and WHEE about her work on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. (Bailey Maierson)

WHEE is exactly what it stands for—a community centered around empowering and unifying the women of St. John’s. From small parties just to show girls that we have their back to large forums to discuss the current challenges facing women, WHEE tries to maintain a strong presence. To accomplish its goals of fostering relationships between girls in the community and making it an environment in which they all feel comfortable, WHEE has started the Big Sis/Little Sis initiative and held presentations and conversations on body image.

“This club means a lot to me because it was the first place where I felt truly embraced at St. John’s and has shown me the incredible strength of my female peers,” junior Meridian Monthy said.

 

Women of Color Affinity Group

WOC hosted its first assembly on Nov. 20. (Kim Dickson)

Leaders: Caitlin Guidry, Alexa Addison, Ella Chen, Kennedy Black, Subi Farayibi, Carolyn DePinho and Rachel Kim

Faculty Sponsors: Nicole Chulick and Kim Dickson

WOC is a safe and welcoming place for any woman in the SJS community who identifies as a woman of color. The group fosters a community that strives to discuss, celebrate and accept all differences between women from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Furthermore, WOC aims to share members’ experiences and educate the SJS community by hosting panels, bringing guest speakers on campus and hosting community events. 

 

 

Young Conservatives Club

Leaders: Pete Anton, Evie Barrett, Oliver Magdol and Sean O’Neal

Faculty Sponsor: John Tomczak

YCC increases political awareness by voicing the concerns of the student body on political issues and encouraging students to discuss the impact of politics on our community. The club works with other clubs to hold debates over a range of political topics. 

“We love YCC because it gives us a place to voice our opinions with other like-minded people,” Anton and Barrett said. “While there are disagreements among the club, it is a place to see other points of view within the conservative party.”

 

Young Entrepreneurial Students Club

Leaders: Isaac Blue, Jim Rouse and Connor Hrachovy

Faculty Sponsor: Sean Griffin

Young Entrepreneurial Students Club hosts keynote conferences throughout the school year during which well-known entrepreneurs from the Houston area speak to students about their career experiences.

“This was probably the best year in YES’s short history,” junior Jim Rouse said. “As a club, we were able to learn so much from [our speakers] about what it means to be an entrepreneur and how to succeed in this field. We learned lessons of hard work and perseverance, which I am sure will help all members of the club, whether they go into entrepreneurship or not.”

 

Young Liberals Organization

Leaders: Tasha Savas, Marina Ring, Marcela Madrid and Leila Pulaski

Faculty Sponsors: Kristiane Stapleton and Caroline Kerr

YLO increases political awareness by voicing the concerns of the student body on political issues and encouraging students to discuss the impact of politics on our community. YLO works with other clubs to hold debates over a range of political topics. 

“We believe one person can truly make a difference,” senior Marina Ring said. “We hope to inspire leadership in others through political activism and encourage them to create lasting positive change.”

 

*This article was updated on May 4, 2024 to reflect a name change.